Scott McChane is a Recorder: Recording Gear Reviews

GRACE m101 PREAMPLIFIER
(TAPE OP MAGAZINE, NOV. 2008):

   Prepare to be impressed with a single word—transimpedance. What the hell does that mean? I think it’s best explained by Michael Grace; refer to “Behind the Gear”in Tape Op #61 (also available on Grace Design’s websiteunder reviews). After reading his explanation and using several Grace products—the m101, the m902 and the m904b (#41)—I feel that transimpedance amplifier architecture offers a musical quality without that integrated circuit graininess characterized in most solid state gear; it’stransparent, full, and realistic.
   The m101 preamp landed on my desk while recording basic tracks at JB’s studio, The Hangar. Given the limited budget of the project I was producing, John thought the Grace would be a good choice for finishing overdubs at my home studio. Admittedly, first impressions on the build are deceptive; the unit weighs not much over 3 lbs. But I’ve since learned the low weight is due to the aluminum chassis, chosen for its non-magnetic and RF-shielding properties.
   I racked the half-width m101 (a really tight fit into a 1RU tray) and worked it hard. During overdubs, I used the preamp’s ribbon mode with a Shure 330 ribbon mic on upright bass. When engaged, the ribbon button disables 48V phantom power and bypasses the circuit’s decoupling capacitors, and it raises impedance to 20k Ohms to better match a ribbon mic’s output. Ribbon mode gave me enough gain, without loss of high frequencies, to place the micwhere my ear liked it (2.5 ft from the source). Gain toppedout at 65dB. I moved the mic 6’’ further away, and cranked the trim. At 75 dB, there was some clipping, so I split thedistance and backed off the trim. The fast, smooth response of the Grace offered a nice blend of string and wood. Using the same mic and spacing for vocals, I was really able to capture the performance without any ribbon “murkiness” while minimizing proximity effect, headphone bleed, and sibilance. Still in ribbon mode, I recorded acoustic guitar with an SM57 mic. The same high impedance tailored for ribbon mic’ing really helped the dynamic mic capture a guitar track that remained focused in the mix without seeming brassy or harsh. In standard (non-ribbon) mode with condenser mics, the Grace really proved itself as a utility preamp. The m101 easily revealed individual microphone characteristics, allowing me to make quick adjustments. Dynamics in performance were captured transparently. Violins and classical strings “sang”. Handclaps were snappy and even. The complexities and nuances of recorded vocals “played out” in the mix. When performed at listening volume, guitar amps held their true character. I like a little grain from preamps when recording rock electric guitars, so the m101 wasn’t a good match for me with louder guitar amps. As an electric bass DI, the Grace offered quick transient response.
   Close mic’ing will always be a trade-off for most home studios, but the m101’s headroom allows for more placement choices. The high-pass filter is handy against the rumble from UPS trucks and common street noise.
   Whether you are looking to step up from a consumer grade preamp or are interested in adding some transparent fidelity to your rack, the m101 should be one of your first purchase considerations.
   ($695 MSRP; www.gracedesign.com) –SM

GRACE m902 DAC
(TAPE OP MAGAZINE, NOV. 2008):

  Before considering any gear, I like to poke around the web for reviews, articles, and forum activity. I found very little talk of the m902’s performance for pro audio applications. Most of the discussion was shared amongst audiophiles—listeners of the music we create. So before bringing the Grace into the studio, I took it to the living room. Using an S/PDIF cable, I connected the m902 to my CD player, then plugged my headphones into one of the two jacks on the front panel. (If my wife and I shared the same taste in music, we could enjoy listening together).
   Right off, I found the m902’s imaging detailed, yet smooth. Grace’s signature transimpedance amp circuitry handled my 55 Ohm AKG K 240 headphones with confidence, allowing me to really sink into the mixes. Never before heard nuances in performance—from songs I knew well—materialized. I began toggling in and out of Xfeed mode. The m902 incorporates a crossfeed circuit design developed byDr. Jan Meier. This is meant to simulate a realistic loudspeaker listening environment while minimizing ear fatigue. In crossfeed mode, the mix closed up a little, moving the stereo image into a more natural space. With Xfeed disabled, the field widened back into headphone character.
   In the studio, I took advantage of the Grace's input options: Digi 002 into S/PDIF, iPod into unbalanced RCA jacks, and console into balanced XLRs. Additional inputs include AES3, TOSLINK, and a handy USB connection for playback directly from a computer. All inputs (except USB) support sample rates from 32–192 kHz, with up to 24-bit resolution. A selection knob is clearly marked for all input modes. The stepped-volume rotary-encoder controls both output level and a host of cool submenu features. Moreover, unbalanced RCA line outs on the m902 (and balanced XLRs on the sibling m902B model) allow the unit to function as a superb-sounding DAC and monitor-level control for a small studio or a laptop with powered speakers. An optional infrared remote (m902RCU) works with both models.
   I opened a Pro Tools session and set my output options.The m902’s sample rate LEDS snapped into sync, illuminating the s-Lock lamp. s-Lock® technology grabs the external clocksource, then uses what Grace calls an “extremely stable, ultra low jitter” internal clock to run the DA converters. This unique phase-lock loop circuit design is also used in Grace’s higher priced flagship models (the m904 and the m906).
   With the Grace’s DACs running monitors from the Digi 002’sS/PDIF signal, I noticed changes in the room immediately. Panning was defined without adding noticeable presence. A transparent, smooth vibe floated around the studio. With headphones, playback seemed to mimic speaker-based monitoring fairly well (with the desired reduction in width). I revisited entire project files and their individually recorded tracks. Along with the good comes the bad; shades of solid recording techniques triumph while flaws are instantly revealed. During playback of a recent rough mix, I caught a digital “scuff” that had escaped me on previous listens. The waveform of an electric bass track revealed a digital spike. I removed the Grace, connecting my monitors directly to the Digi 002’s analog outputs; without the Grace’s DACs, the glitch seemed very faint, illustrating that the m902 can be usefully unforgiving.
   With its exceptional converters and innovative circuit architecture, the Grace m902 is both an audiophile’s wet dream and a professional, critical listening tool well suited for recording and mastering applications.
   (m902 $1695 MSRP, m902B $1850, m902RCU $125; www.gracedesign.com) –SM

Novation Nocturn
intellegent plug-in controller
(Unpublished):

   Nearly every audio equipment manufacturer was pushing at least one control surface at this years AES conference… and nearly every studio has at least one control surface condemned to the ‘eBay pile’. The Nocturn separates itself from the toys with its dedicated, intuitive Automap Universal software, originally developed for use with Novation’s Remote SL and SL Compact units. Automap Universal automatically draws a control map of plug-in parameters, and then assigns them to the Nocturn controller’s encoder knobs and buttons.
   Eight assignable, touch-sensitive continuous controller knobs represent the Nocturn’s primary command functions. Each knob is surrounded with cool, red LED step indicators. At the bottom of the controller are two banks of eight buttons. The top eight are assignable, while the lower set toggles dedicated Automap functions. In the middle of the controller there’s a novel DJ style crossfader and an ingenious ‘Speed Dial’, which I’ll get to later.
The Nocturn’s left-side USB port seems oddly placed at first, but the 9-inch wide controller fits perfectly against the left side of a computer’s keyboard without getting in the way of the mouse on the right. The controller’s USB cable follows the keyboards cable to the computer, allowing for a tidy desktop setup.
   After installing the software, a plug-in manager window opens. Most, but not all of my plug-ins appeared in the left pane of the plug-in manager window. I wrapped a compressor, an eq and a VST instrument plug-in, by simply dragging the filenames into the manager’s right pane.
The Nocturn hardware is linked via Automap Server to the DAW. So when I open a Pro Tools session for example, the Automap Server application boots simultaneously. Automap’s HUD (heads-up display) window represents Nocturn’s control actions and plug-in parameter assignments graphically. The HUD can be sized, and floats transparently over your DAW’s mix or edit window!
   Before trying any wrapped plug-ins, I went berserk with the ‘Speed Dial’. At first, using the touch-sensitive knob in conjunction with a mouse was awkward, like placing two fingers on a track pad at the same time. However, fifteen minutes in, I caught my rhythm. When hovering the mouse over almost any parameter in the DAW window, Speed Dial took over… faders, panning, plug-in parameters, scrubbing, etc. Simply hover the mouse over the on-screen control, then grab the touch-sensitive knob and rotate. When depressed and rotated, the Speed Dial is meant to scroll through plug-in presets. Plug-ins that use their own proprietary preset management system don’t support this feature, which I found to be of minor consequence.
   On a snare track in Pro Tools LE, I inserted a Bomb Factory 1176 Automap wrapped RTAS plug-in. Wrapped plug-ins are recognized in the DAW’s plug-in list with the phrase ‘(Automap)’ inserted after the corresponding filename; in this case ‘bombfactory BF 76 (Automap)’. The HUD flashed Automap’s encoder assignments and the LED indicators surrounding the corresponding controls on the Nocturn lit up as I inserted the plug-in.
   The BF 76 compressor plug-in has six controllable parameters; input, output, attack, release, control ratio and meter. Automap Universal automatically assigned the third knob for ‘attack, the fourth for ‘release’, the fifth for ‘control ratio’, the seventh for ‘input’ and the eighth for ‘output’. Also, a control button was assigned as a master bypass!
The Automap Server HUD is basically a GUI layout for the Nocturn, indicating the corresponding parameter functions and values for the plug-in’s mapped controls. When you grab a touch-sensitive knob, the corresponding parameter and value is highlighted in the HUD, so you can visually track adjustments through either the plug-in window or the HUD. I wasn’t satisfied with the default control assignments, so I remapped the plug-in right away, easily accomplished by using the ‘learn’ feature. I mouse-clicked the input knob in the BF 76 plug-in window, pressed the ‘learn’ button on the Nocturn, and then assigned an encoder knob by simply touching it on the control surface. Nice! You can also map manually using the HUD, which displays plug-in parameters via a drop-down menu.
   Using the edit pane at the bottom of either the HUD or the wrapped plug-in GUI, each Nocturn encoder can be customized for step size and value range. For example, I assigned the BF 76’s five parameter ‘control ratio’ to one of the Nocturn’s buttons, setting the step size to ‘1’ (a click for each value) and the maximum control value to ‘5’ (20:1, 12:1, 8:1, 4:1 and ‘all’). For my ‘bypass’ button, the step and maximum range is set to one, resulting in a simple ‘on-off’ control. Rotary encoders can be assigned higher max control values, serving well for finite plug-in adjustments difficult to achieve with a mouse. Once you’ve set-up your control mapping, you can save it as a control map file and set it as your default map. You can also export and import control map settings. Automap organizes control maps into 3 categories; ‘user’, ‘fx’ and ‘inst’. Group buttons for each type of control map open corresponding browsers in the HUD window, displaying the active control maps in sequence. By default, control maps for most plug-ins seem to show up in the ‘fx’ browser. My Minimoog instrument plug-in map was assigned to the instrument group of course. If you want to customize browser organization, control maps can be assigned to any group. The ‘mixer’ group stores supported mixer control banks. Currently DAW mixer control maps are limited to Cubase, Nuendo, Sonar and Tracktion. The Nocturn does function as a MIDI controller, and Novation’s online answer base forum offers a workaround template for Pro Tools LE and HD, allowing the Nocturn to emulate the JL Cooper CS-10; not officially supported by Digidesign.
   The Digidesign 7-band EQ 3 plug-in has almost 40 parameters and requires three pages of control assignments. Two buttons on the Nocturn control HUD pagination. EQ Plug-in filters and in/out toggles were auto-assigned to buttons, with correlating frequencies and gain controls mapped to the knobs. I could easily spend an hour geek-mapping a single plug-in like this, but if I use it every day... “Time saved is money in the bank.”
   Because there’s not yet a pre-built Novation map for Arturia’s Minimoog virtual instrument plug-in, assignments seemed random. It turns out that if a mapping has not yet been added to Novation’s library, then parameters are automatically mapped in order, defined by the plug-in manufacturer. (Future Automap software releases will include more pre-built maps as they become available). Plug-in manufacturers also define specific parameters for automation. Those parameters not defined for automation cannot be ‘learned’. Perhaps this is why I was unable to assign encoders to any of the Minimoog’s switches with Automap. However, MIDI CC mapping of buttons may be achieved by using the Automap MIDI client. The range and waveform oscillators, the bend range, and most parameters on the instrument’s rear panel LFO and Arpeggiator sections were also unlearnable. I used the Speed Dial to control some the aforementioned parameters with varied results. To be fair, Minimoog has a huge number of parameters to manage… almost 80! Only 42 of them seem to be ‘learnable’. On the plus side, I found a use for Nocturn’s cross fader. Goofing with the modulation and bend wheels kept me busy for at least twenty minutes.
   The hardware is primarily designed to be a plug-in controller but can also function as a MIDI control surface. The Automap MIDI client allows for easy routing of MIDI parameters via the software’s GUI. To me, standout control surface features are the cool red rings of value indicator LEDs that surround the knobs, and the Speed Dial. Though the encoders seem fragile to me, they perform with precision. Novation offers up the 45mm cross-fader as a laptop DJ solution.
The software in my opinion, though unique and innovative, is not yet universal. However, Novation’s Automap is in a class of it’s own… thereby lacking comparison and inviting criticism. I’m betting regular software updates will address proprietary plug-in incompatibilities and limited DAW mixer integration. Control map sharing is already popping up on web forums and in user groups.
   In practice, laying out your plug-ins with Automap’s HUD will take more time than getting used to the control surface itself. If you’re into organizing, it’s really fun… and the time you invest will be rewarded with productivity. After you finish mapping your effects, you’ll be comfortable using the Nocturn and mouse in tandem. Your test drive is now over. The ridiculously low price of the Nocturn combined with the Automap’s revolutionary plug-in mapping system should sell itself. But in the end, some of us just can’t let go of the mouse. The only question you have to ask yourself is, “am I a control surface person?”

-SM